Forgetting the Forgetter: The Cupbearer in the Joseph Saga (Genesis 40–41)
Typically, the cupbearer in Genesis 40-41 is interpreted only as a member of Joseph’s supporting cast. However, closely reading this minor character suggests more options for interpreting both him and other anonymous courtiers found throughout the Hebrew Bible. The cupbearer’s actions (and inactions...
| Subtitles: | Unnamed and Uncredited: Anonymous Figures in the Biblical World |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sheffield Institute for Interdisciplinary Biblical Studies
2022
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| In: |
Journal for interdisciplinary biblical studies (JIBS)
Year: 2022, Volume: 4, Issue: 2, Pages: 47-65 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Mann, Thomas 1947-
/ Dream
/ Eunuch
/ Bible. Genesis 40-41
/ Koran
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| IxTheo Classification: | HB Old Testament |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | Typically, the cupbearer in Genesis 40-41 is interpreted only as a member of Joseph’s supporting cast. However, closely reading this minor character suggests more options for interpreting both him and other anonymous courtiers found throughout the Hebrew Bible. The cupbearer’s actions (and inactions) raise ethical and psychological questions about remembering, forgetting, and the shades of grey between them. The cupbearer, ironically, is remembered most for forgetting Joseph; yet in forgetting the cupbearer, we forget the lesson in remembrance that he exemplifies. This minor character study partners conventional narrative criticism with the gaps and possibilities found in the cupbearer’s reception among sources as diverse as Jerome, the Qur’an, Genesis Rabbah, and Thomas Mann. |
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| ISSN: | 2633-0695 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal for interdisciplinary biblical studies (JIBS)
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.17613/ceed-gz43 |